Four weeks of medication, medical leave, and watching just how much Hinata worked. Sasuke should really be surprised, the day they met, he had to take her to the hospital because of overworking, but everyone swore to him that it was more his father's fault than hers, well, other than her.

Sasuke knew she worked late and took home work with her, but it didn't become apparent to him just how much until he was home all day bored and waiting for her to be done. Finishing an email could prompt a call. A call could prompt a document review. A document review could prompt another email, and before they knew it was time to go to bed.

This was starting to feel familiar and not in a good way. Sasuke spent many nights sitting up waiting for his parents and brother to come home from engagements. This didn't feel all the different, except she was in the other room, and he could tear her away.

If it were only a few times here or there, he would have no problem just getting her a coffee and a snack and letting her work because tearing her away wasn't getting her full attention because she would think about it until she got back to it, but it was nearly every night. It was rare she would come in and not open her laptop. It was rare she would even have a weekend free when they didn't have family over.

Hinata was supportive of his recovery, made sure he ate, had his medication, and did what the doctor recommended, but he wanted more. He wanted her undivided attention for more than the few minutes to check on him. He didn't want to have to schedule with her calendar to have dinner with her.

…Was being with him just an extension of this job?

Sasuke hated the thought, but it came from time to time. He wanted to believe that it was genuine because of what she said to him the night he gave her back the ring, but once she accepted his feelings, did she ever develop her own? Or did she just fall into line with the relationship because it was convenient?

If she was unhappy with him, would she stay because she wanted to keep her job?

If she quit her job, would that mean they were over?

Sasuke sighed, watching Hinata chew on her lip, hunched over her laptop. Did she need to fall down another flight of stairs before she took a break?


Hinata rubbed her temple and rested her head back in her office chair. Everything was returning to normal if everyone could just keep something from imploding for five minutes. Departments were caught up. Sasuke and Itachi were recovering, and Sasuke was almost ready to return to the office. Fugaku was back doing his usual work, so she didn't have to constantly run around and fill him in. It would be perfect if he could just keep his blood pressure down.

She could just sit down and breathe now, or so she thought as she was the brightly painted smile of Mikoto waving through her doorway way too early in the morning.

"Morning, dear." Mikoto let herself in.

"The director has a meeting in…" Hinata started.

"I'm here for you, dear." Somehow Hinata knew that and hoped she was wrong anyway.

Don't say it. "How can I help you?"

"Well, I thought we could start looking around for the wedding. I know we don't have a date yet, but there is no harm in looking about." Mikoto sat elegantly in the chair across from her and crossed her legs.

Sasuke knew his mother. Hinata thought she would have waited at least until Itachi was out and about before she started pushing for the wedding. "I don't know. Sasuke-san is still recovering."

"We don't need him." Mikoto waved her hand. "Boys will muck up the fun."

Hinata pressed her lips into a line. Was there anything she could say that would get her out of this?


Hinata sighed as she stepped out of her heels and dropped her purse. She sat down on the couch and looked at her phone. Her inbox was full of emails Lee fenced, but she needed to read them to make sure she was still in the loop. Just once, she would like something to go right enough to stop and watch the silly movie Sasuke wanted her to. She should have been home on time today.

Hinata started pulling her hair down as she clicked on the first one.

"Can you just put it away today?" Sasuke leaned his hip on the counter in the kitchen with a sour look on his face.

Hinata blinked at him. He was in a bad mood. "Just give me a minute. I just need to skim what I missed."

"Just once, could you put work away?" Sasuke huffed. "How much could pile up when you just got home from the office?"

Hinata didn't like his tone, but she couldn't blame him for being upset. "I wasn't at the office, your mother kidnapped me, and I have been following her around wedding boutiques all afternoon. I just need to see what I missed."

Sasuke's eyebrows knit together. "Why?"

"Why does your mother do anything?" Hinata shrugged.

Sasuke crossed his arms. "No, why are you going to wedding boutiques?" His tone was actually starting to worry her.

Didn't he predict this at the hospital? "Because she wants to start looking for things for the wedding."

"No." If that's not what he meant, then what did he mean? Sasuke closed his eyes to calm himself down. He was really upset about this. Where was this coming from?

"I'm sorry, did you want to…" Hinata tailed off as Sasuke looked off to the side. "What's wrong?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Why are you planning a wedding for a sham engagement?"

Hinata got up to come to the kitchen. Sasuke stiffened as she approached him. "I don't understand what you mean. The whole reason we got engaged was that your mother was causing problems."

"Yeah." Sasuke agreed with a sigh, but it didn't sound like he agreed with her sentiment. "Never mind."

"I want to know what's bothering you." Hinata pressed. Sasuke was upset when she came in. He was upset she was working. He was frustrated by it in the past, but he was never mad, so it felt like something else was going on. Drop it. Maybe he had a bad day. "Sorry." Hinata turned back to the living room but didn't get very far.

Sasuke captured her in a tight hug around her shoulder, pushing his face into the back of her shoulder. "Don't… worry about it right now. Do your work, then watch something with me."

Hinata put a hand on his head. "How about I go change while I skim? I'll be ready in a minute." Sasuke nodded into her shoulder but didn't release her. "You don't have to tell me what's wrong now, but I don't want you to bottle things up."

Sasuke hummed miserably in agreement as he let her go. His face was solemn, and he was avoiding her eyes.

"I'll be quick," Hinata promised.


Sasuke felt stupid. He shouldn't have snapped at her. He didn't know she was delayed by his mother, but that wasn't an excuse. He spent too long in his head. Even if he had a right to be upset, he didn't need to be hostile.

Hinata looked so worried, and it gutted him, but he wanted to make a point, and he only made both of them feel worse with no solution to the problem, and he didn't really want to talk about it after Hinata spent all day with his mother.

Hinata padded to the kitchen in more comfortable clothes, still scrolling while she got in the fridge. "Did you eat?"

"Yeah," Sasuke called back.

After making some noise in the kitchen, she came to the living room with a tray of tea and snacks and sat beside him but not as close as she usually would. Great, now she was distancing herself.

Sasuke fell back, plopping his head into her lap, and crossed his arm. Hinata's hand disappeared in his hair as she brushed it back. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I don't want to talk about it right now." Sasuke repositioned his head, so he could see the TV.

Hinata clicked play and put her free hand on his chest. "Okay."